For nearly nine months, Marcus Jackson has been committed to the Miami Hurricanes.

The big offensive lineman from South Florida departed Knoxville the same on Sunday, but Jackson couldn't say enough good things about his trip to Rocky Top.

"It went great. Best visit I took," said the Vero Beach, Fla., standout. "Everything was like a big family. Great fan base, great support. There's a chance to start right away because it's a thin o-line (depth-wise).

"Coach (Harry) Hiestand (the Vols' offensive line coach), he told me what a great place it was. Coach Hiestand told me to come up here, a great environment. It's a great place to be. Tennessee, the whole state is behind the football team. It's a great place to be."

Rated the No. 13 guard in the nation and the 52nd-best player in the talent-rich state of Florida, Jackson maintained his Miami commitment but also talked about how well he meshed with the Vols.

"I mean, the players, the o-line, I clicked with them right away," said Jackson, who missed a flight after a meeting with UT coach Derek Dooley stretched long. "They're very thin, I could play right away, and 105,000 people, that's a lot of people. (Neyland) Stadium wasn't even full and I couldn't hear my thoughts. I liked that. Great facilities, great funding. I mean, you've got everything you need. Great coaches, great coaching staff. They're trying to put together a couple of (recruiting) classes and take it to the top. That's pretty good.

"I didn't know much about Tennessee. I learned a lot."

As Jackson indicated more than once, early playing time could be a definite factor in his continued recruitment. The 6-foot-2 guard, who said he's between 305-310 pounds and not the 315 listed on his profile, outlined the Vols' youth up front.

"The line is all freshmen. Three freshmen, one senior and a sophomore. That's it. A lot. You can play, don't matter what grade you are. I like that," he said.